With school starting soon, it's time to make sure your child are up-to-date with their immunizations.
State law requires that children have specific immunizations before they attend school. For a complete list of vaccines and clinics, visit Public Health-Seattle & King County's Back to School Immunizations webpages: www.metrokc.gov/health/immunization/school.htm.
Some school grades have new vaccine requirements this fall since new vaccines are being phased in. Hepatitis B vaccine is now required for students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade. Students entering kindergarten through 12th grade will need to show proof of having receiving two doses of measles-containing vaccine, one dose of mumps-containing vaccine and one dose of rubella-containing vaccine (usually received as the combined MMR vaccine).
Varicella vaccine for chickenpox is not required this coming school year but will be in 2006.
Also, meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menactra) is now recommended for some groups, including college freshmen living in dormitories.
Parents must bring immunization records with them to all clinics, and they should check the immunization records to make sure no doses have been missed.
Parents and legal guardians can refuse to immunize their children based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons. They must sign the appropriate box on the Certificate of Immunization Status form to exempt their child from receiving vaccines required for school entry.
A child who is not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school or child care during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. The child also can spread the infection to others, like those who are immunosuppressed, pregnant or infants.[[In-content Ad]]
